Mini-Interview with Aquibird

A week ago Aquibird returned with a second full length album. It’s been five years since the debut and the band has undergone some changes since, leaving me even more curious to learn more on the band. Finally I got the chance, as DJ Magik Cool J was kind enough to answer a few questions for Indieful ROK:

What is the story behind Aquibird?Pet shops in Korea sell not only pet fishes but also pet birds. Those pet shops are usually called ‘aquarium’. The vogue irony of pet birds in an aquarium is similar to our musical identity that unaligned with any particular genre. So we named us ‘Aquibird’, which means birds in aquarium.Who are the current members of Aquibird?YouYoun : Vocalist, SongwriterJungWoo : Guitarist, SongwriterDJ Magik Cool J : Producer, DJ, Songwriter

When transforming into a trio Aquibird also got a change in sound. How did this come aboutAfter the guitarist JungWoo became a regular member, guitar sound started to stand out as being more important than in the past albums. And the new vocalist YouYoun is skilled in natural voice tone, which enables us to arrange for acoustic sound.

What can you tell us about 오! 소소?‘오! 소소(Oh! SoSo)’ means, in Korean language, sound or shape that small things such as leaves or snow, are piling up. This album pays attention to small things of our daily lives. We tried to blend small amount of reggae, folk, funk and swing into each songs until it gets smooth.

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For some reason Aquibird has been one of those bands whose music has been tragically underrated even among fans of Korean indie music, and I could never see why. They started out with an acid jazz/reggae blend setting them apart from others with a similar sound yet keeping the appeal of that vein of electronic music, and at first even released English versions of their songs. Lady Jane left the band on good terms a couple of years ago and since then the sound has taken a more acoustic direction. Hopefully this new album will finally give Aquibird the recognition they deserve.